Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices 37865

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of

Engineers

Availability of the Joint Draft

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/

EIR) for the Santa Fe and Whittier

Narrows Dams Water Conservation

and Supply Study, Los Angeles

County, California

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(Corps), Los Angeles District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers has prepared a joint DEIS/EIR

and Feasibility Report with the Los

Angeles County Department of Public

Works (LACDPW) for the Santa Fe and

Whittier Narrows Dams Water

Conservation and Supply Study, in Los

Angeles County, California. Santa Fe

and Whittier Narrows Dams are two of

the five Federal flood control dams in

the Los Angeles County Drainage Area.

Santa Fe Dam is located in the

northeastern San Gabriel Valley on the

San Gabriel River about four miles

below the mouth of San Gabriel Canyon.

Bordering communities include

Irwindale, Baldwin Park, Duarte, and

Azusa. Whittier Narrows Dam is located

approximately seven miles downstream

of Santa Fe Dam and spans both the San

Gabriel River and the Rio Hondo. Flood

control is the primary purpose for both

dams. A water conservation pool has

been authorized at Whittier Narrows

Dam at elevation 201.6 feet. No water

conservation pool currently exists at

Santa Fe Dam. Both dams also include

extensive recreational facilities and

wildlife management or nature study

areas. The proposed action considered

in this DEIS/EIR involves the temporary

storage of water in the reservoirs at

Santa Fe and Whittier Narrows Dams

after the main flood season has passed

during the flood season when flood

forecasting predicts that there would be

no reasonable expectation of additional

rainfall at the end of a storm. The stored

water would be released at a slower rate

to recharge for spreading basins

associated with each dam. The proposed

water conservation project would not

reduce the effectiveness of either dam to

provide flood protection.

The preferred alternative at Santa Fe

Dam would establish a buffer pool and

seasonal pool at elevation 463.0 feet.

Historic records indicate that

inundation to elevation 463.0 feet is

frequent enough to provide substantial

water yields for cost-effective

downstream ground water discharge. An

interior levee would be constructed to

protect recreation and Wildlife

Management areas from inundation. The

bottom of the levee would be at

elevation 446.8 feet nearest the toe of

the dam, and the top of the levee would

be at elevation 466.0 feet. The top of the

levee would be armored to eliminate the

need for overtopping protection. The

average annual water yield increase for

this alternative is estimated at 2,400

acre feet (AF).

The preferred alternative at Whittier

Narrows Dam would use the existing

201.6-foot elevation water conservation

pool for water conservation whenever

significant amounts of water are

available and not precluded by other

constraints. In addition, a buffer pool

and seasonal pool would be established

at elevation 209 feet. Protective

measures for motors at the water

reclamation plant and mitigation for 18

oil wells would be included.

Approximately 951 feet (331 Meters) of

Durfee Road would need to be raised to

elevation 212 feet, which includes three

feet for overtopping protection, to

maintain traffic flow when water is

stored at the maximum seasonal or

buffer pool elevation. The average

annual water yield increase for this

alternative is estimated at 3,500 AF.

Anticipated significant environmental

impacts include loss of alluvial scrub

habitat at Santa Fe Dam and increased

sedimentation at Whittier Narrows Dam.

These impacts would be mitigated. No

significant environmental health effects

are expected to occur.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For further information on the Draft

Feasibility Report, please contact Ms.

Deborah Lamb, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, Los Angeles District, Attn:

CESPL–PD–WA, P.O. Box 532711, Los

Angeles, California, 90053–2325,

telephone (213) 452–3798. For further

information on the Draft EIS/EIR, please

contact Ms. Lois Goodman, U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, CESPL–PD–RL, P.O.

Box 532711, Los Angeles, California,

90053–2325, telephone (213) 452–3869.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army

Corps of Engineers has prepared a Draft

EIS/EIR to assess the environmental

effects associated with the proposed

water conservation and supply at Santa

Fe and Whittier Narrows Dams. The

public will have the opportunity to

comment on this Draft EIS/EIR before

any action is taken to implement the

proposed plan.

The Army Corps of Engineers

conducted a scoping meeting prior to

preparing the in the city of El Monte

Draft EIS/EIR to aid in determining the

significant environmental issues

associated with the proposed action.

The meeting was held in the city of El

Monte, California, on March 23, 1995.

The Army Corps of Engineers will

conduct a public hearing to receive

comments on the Draft EIS/EIR in

conjunction with the public meeting to

present the Feasibility Report. The

public hearing and meeting will take

place at the El Monte Community

Center, 3130 Tyler Avenue, El Monte,

California, on August 12, 1998 from 7:00

PM to 9:00 PM. The location, date, and

time of the public hearing and meeting

will also be announced in the local

media, and separate notice will be sent

to all parties on the project mailing list.

Individuals and agencies may present

oral or written comments relevant to the

Draft EIS/EIR by attending the public

hearing or by mailing comments to the

Corps prior to August 28, 1998.

Comments, suggestions, and requests to

be placed on the mailing list for

announcements should be sent to Ms.

Lois Goodman, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, CESPL–PD–RL, P.O. Box

532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053–2325.

Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR:

Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are

availability for review at the following

locations:

Baldwin Park Community Library, 4181

Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park,

California

Pico Rivera Community Library, 9001

Mines Avenue, Pico Rivera, California

El Monte Community Library, 3224

Tyler Avenue, El Monte, California

Norwood Public Library, 4550 N Peck

Road, EL Monte, California

South El Monte Community Library,

1430 N. Central Avenue, South El

Monte, California

Duarte Community Library, 1301 Buena

Vista Street, Duarte, California

South Whittier Community Library,

14433 Leffingwell Road, Whittier,

California

Azusa City Library, 729 N. Dalton

Avenue, Azusa, California

Irwindale Public Library, 5050 North

Irwindale Avenue, Irwindale,

California

West Covina Public Library, 1601 West

Covina Parkway, West Covina,

California

Los Angeles Public Library, Central

Library, 630 W 5th Street, Los

Angeles, California

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los

Angeles District, Environmental

Resources Branch, 911 Wilshire

Boulevard, 14th Floor, Los Angeles,

California

Los Angeles County Department of

Public Works, Planning Division, 900

South Fremont Avenue, 11th Floor,

Alhambra, California
37866 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices

To obtain a copy of the Draft EIS/EIR,

please contact Ms. Deborah Lamb, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles

District, Attn: CESPL–PD–WA, P.O. Box

532711, Los Angeles, California, 90053–

2325, telephone (213) 452–3798. Please

address written comments on the Draft

EIS/EIR, to Ms. Lois Goodman, U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles

District, Attn: CESPL–PD–RL, P.O. Box

532711, Los Angeles, California, 90053–

2325, Fax number (213) 452–4204.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

Robert L. Davis,

Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 98–18676 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–KF–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Record of Decision for the Disposal

and Reuse of the Department of

Defense Housing Facility Novato,

California

SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy

(Navy), pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of

the National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. § 4332(2)(C),

and the regulations of the Council on

Environmental Quality that implement

NEPA procedures, 40 CFR Parts 1500–

1508, hereby announces its decision to

dispose of the Department of Defense

Housing Facility (DoDHF) at Novato,

California.

Navy intends to dispose of the

property in a manner that is consistent

with the Hamilton Army Airfield Reuse

Plan dated October 1995, as revised in

November 1996 (Revised Reuse Plan).

These plans address reuse of both

DoDHF and the Department of the

Army’s adjacent Hamilton Army

Airfield (HAA). The Hamilton Reuse

Planning Authority (HRPA), the Local

Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for the

DoDHF property, prepared both the

October 1995 Reuse Plan and the

November 1996 Revised Reuse Plan.

The City of Novato approved the

Revised Reuse Plan in February 1996

and published it in November 1996.

The Revised Reuse Plan Alternative,

identified in the Final Environmental

Impact Statement (FEIS) as the Preferred

Alternative, would implement the

Revised Reuse Plan. The Preferred

Alternative proposes an adaptive reuse

of certain DoDHF buildings and the

retention of existing land uses, i.e.,

residential areas, community facilities,

commercial activities, parkland, and

open space.

In deciding to dispose of DoDHF

Novato in a manner consistent with the

Preferred Alternative, navy has

determined that a mixed land use will

meet the local economic redevelopment

goals of providing housing and

recreational resources while also

limiting adverse environmental impacts

and ensuring land uses that are

compatible with adjacent property. This

Record Of Decision does not mandate a

specific mix of land uses. Rather, it

leaves selection of the particular means

to achieve the proposed redevelopment

to the acquiring entity and the local

zoning authority.

Background

The Department of Defense Housing

Facility at Novato is located in the

southeastern part of the City of Novato

in Marin County, California, about 20

miles north of the City of San Francisco.

The property covers an area of about

411 acres on two sites that are separated

by United States Highway 101.

The 304-acre Main Site is located on

the east side of U.S. Highway 101 and

contains military family housing, a

Commissary, a Navy Exchange, an

Officers Club, community service areas,

a bowling alley, and recreational fields.

The 107-acre Rafael Village military

family housing site is located on the

west side of U.S. Highway 101, about

one mile northwest of the Main Site.

The 142-acre Spanish Housing area lies

adjacent to the Main Site and was

formerly part of the Main Site. Navy

will transfer this property to the United

States Coast Guard (Coast Guard).

The Hamilton Reuse Planning

Authority developed a reuse plan for

DoDHF Novato in October 1995. This

plan, designated the Hamilton Army

Airfield Reuse Plan, addressed reuse of

both DoDHF and the adjacent Army

Airfield. The Hamilton Army Airfield

Reuse Plan proposed adaptive reuse of

most of the existing housing and other

buildings and retention of the existing

land uses.

The Reuse Planning Authority revised

the original HAA Reuse Plan to take

account of changes in the Coast Guard’s

request for an interagency transfer of

base closure property at DoDHF. The

Revised Reuse Plan developed by HRPA

incorporated the Coast Guard’s revised

request. It was approved by the City of

Novato in February 1996 and published

in November 1996. The Revised Reuse

Plan, described in the FEIS as the

Revised Reuse Plan Alternative, is the

Preferred Alternative. The Department

of the Army issued the Record Of

Decision for the disposal and reuse of

Hamilton Army Airfield on February 24,

1997.

Under the authority of the Defense

Base Closure and Realignment Act of

1990, Public Law 101–510, 10 U.S.C.

2687 note, the 1993 Defense Base

Closure and Realignment Commission

recommended disestablishment of the

Navy Public Works Center, San

Francisco Bay, which included DoDHF

Novato. The recommendation was

approved by President Clinton and

accepted by the One Hundred Third

Congress in 1993. Navy closed the

housing facilities at Novato on

September 30, 1996.

During the Federal screening process

for the Novato housing facilities, two

Federal agencies, the Department of

Veterans Affairs and the United States

Coast Guard, expressed interest in

property at DoDHF. The Department of

Veterans Affairs initially requested an

interagency transfer of 54 housing units

at the Main Site but later withdrew its

request. The Coast Guard, in its revised

request, sought 282 housing units at the

Spanish Housing area of the Main Site,

and Navy will transfer the 142-acre

property that contains these units to the

Coast Guard. The remaining property is

surplus to the needs of the Federal

Government.

Navy published a Notice Of Intent in

the Federal Register on October 31,

1995, announcing that Navy would

prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to analyze the impacts

of disposal and reuse of the land,

buildings, and infrastructure at DoDHF

Novato. A public scoping meeting was

held at San Marin High School in

Novato on November 16, 1995, and the

scoping process ended on December 1,

1995.

On January 31, 1997, Navy distributed

a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) to Federal, State, and local

agencies, interested parties, and the

general public. Navy held a public

hearing concerning the DEIS on

February 27, 1997, at San Marin High

School. During the forty-five day review

period after publication of the DEIS,

Federal, State, and local agencies,

community groups and associations,

and the general public submitted oral

and written comments concerning the

DEIS. These comments and Navy’s

responses were incorporated in the

Final Environmental Impact Statement

and was distributed to the public on

November 21, 1997, for a thirty-day

review period that concluded on

December 22, 1997. navy received five

letters concerning the FEIS.

Alternatives

NEPA requires Navy to evaluate a

reasonable range of alternatives for the

disposal and reuse of this Federal

property. In the NEPA process, Navy

analyzed the environmental impacts of